Kenneth Whyte

Maclean’s publisher and editor-in-chief Kenneth Whyte discusses his new book, The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst (Random House, 2008), with Joseph Planta.

The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst by Kenneth Whyte. (Random House, 2008)Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Uncrowned King

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

The view we have of Hearst has been due largely to Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane, and perhaps incorrectly as we read the new book from Kenneth Whyte. In The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst we see a re-interpretation of one of the legendary newspaper barons of all time. We also have a remarkable insight into Hearst’s times, the people who were on the scene with him who rivaled for newspaper audiences, and of course the politics and culture of the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Kenneth Whyte is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Maclean’s, and was the editor of Saturday Night before becoming the founding editor of the National Post. Published by Random House, this is his first book. It is a tremendous book, wonderfully written, one that’s difficult to put down and endlessly fascinating. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Ken Whyte; Good morning, Mr. Whyte.